Why Memphis Rocks

By Jeremy Park

Last week we kicked off this series of reader-response columns by asking, “Why do you think Memphis Rocks?” So far, we have received some heartwarming stories, catchy slogans, and fascinating perspectives that all capture the essence of what makes our community so great. Let us go ahead and start sharing your responses while I encourage you, our readers, to keep the feedback coming, so we can share even more next week.

Jerome Robinson: “Memphis Rocks because on any given day the great people of Memphis are hard at work doing and giving for others! This really is an amazing town.”

Jason Brooks: “I love the festivals, like Memphis in May, the RiverArtsFest, Greek Fest, Italian Fest, Africa in April, Crawfish Fest and the Indie Memphis Film Festival. Really cool with the diversity, music, food and thousands of people coming out to enjoy. Oh, I can’t forget things like South Main Trolley Tour and the Peabody Rooftop Parties. So much fun to be had in this city!”

Allison Carson: “I think Memphis Rocks because of the green grass, blue skies, and the soul in the air. More importantly, I love the way the community rallies around a cause when there is a need. The spirit of giving in Memphis is unmatched and the social responsibility is changing the landscape of what will be our great history. There is a buzz in the air that is building up to a big boom and it’s an exciting time to be here!”

Steven Ardel: “Here are five reasons why Memphis Rocks and stats to back it up – 1) Memphis has one of the quickest commutes to work in the nation, 2) Memphis was named one of the most fun cities in the nation by Portfolio.com, 3) CNBC.com ranked Memphis #2 in the nation this year for being a least-expensive city to live in, 4) we have world recognized arts, culture, and heritage, like the Brooks Museum of Art, Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Ballet Memphis, National Civil Rights Museum, Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, and Orpheum Theatre, and 5) we enjoy world-class sports in accessible environments, like with our Tennis Championships each February, the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind in June, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Memphis Redbirds, Tiger Basketball, and Memphis Grizzlies, which were just named Sport Team of the Year for the Beyond Sport Awards 2012. It’s a proven fact that Memphis Rocks!”

Dan Marks: “The greenline/Shelby (Farms) Park. It truly is phenomenal how much this city invests in public green spaces.”

Jeremy Park, director of the Lipscomb Pitts Breakfast Club, can be reached at jeremyp@lpinsurance.com and followed on Twitter (@lpbreakfastclub) and Facebook (facebook.com/lpbreakfastclub).